


A Gesture of Love

by Hinalilly



Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Feels, Fluff, M/M, Merman!Haru, Pirate!Rin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-25
Updated: 2015-12-25
Packaged: 2018-05-09 04:23:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5525261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hinalilly/pseuds/Hinalilly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rin is a young pirate who's only just started making a name for himself. When he gets his first important mission, he sees an opportunity to finally reach the heights he's been aiming for, to change his life forever.</p>
<p>What he finds there does change not only his life, but also someone else's, in both foreseen and unexpected ways.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Gesture of Love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [demfeeeels](https://archiveofourown.org/users/demfeeeels/gifts).



> I was so happy when I got my assignment, both prompts were so lovely! ... which was a bit of a problem, actually, because I had so many ideas that I didn't know which one to write! In the end, I ended up going with the very first one that had crossed my mind. As it usually happens.
> 
> Merry Christmas!! I hope you'll enjoy this little fic as much as I enjoyed writing it!

 

_A putrid stench. Silence. Not a stir in the darkness._

_The water felt dead._

_The scent of the salt and the wind were far off memories by now. There was nothing left but to wait for sleep._

_Maybe, at the end of one of these seemingly endless, repetitive days, he’d finally end up not waking up at all._

 

* * *

 

With a loud intake of breath, Rin broke the surface of the water. He moved quickly to the rocky edge of the small pool, pulling himself up swiftly, and immediately flopped on his back, gasping to try and regain his breath. Running a hand through his hair, he pulled his dripping bangs away from his face, his eyes fixed on the dark ceiling of the cavern.

This was it. He’d made it.

It had been a long, tiring (and dangerous) swim, but the careful planning and training had been worth it.

Sitting up, Rin turned his eyes away from the small patch of ocean from which he’d just arrived, scanning the area behind him. It was just like the rumors and information said. A small, dark cavern, hidden at the end of long, narrow underwater passages with few air vents, filled to the brim with treasure.

Well, the last part might have been a bit of an exaggeration, but there was still enough gold for a Bandou pirate’s standards, Rin thought with a snort.

The gold wasn’t what he was after, anyway.

Rin stood up, reminding himself of his task. He couldn’t afford to slack off now and let the tiredness get to him—he still had a journey back to make, after all. He stretched his arms and legs a little, the gold locket hanging around his neck jingling as he moved. Rin smiled, tapping it with his fist.

_Soon, Dad. I’m almost there._

The cavern was quiet, the dark, stone walls tinted by the light blue of the ocean and the few dimly lit torches on the walls. The light would go out in a few hours, most likely. Somebody would probably come before then.

He had to be quick.

Rin rushed to the nearest pile of gold, looking around for anything that might point to where, according to their information, the item he was looking for was hidden. _Placed inside a small box, inside a golden cup, covered by a necklace of jade._ It was a lousy tip, but the location of the cavern had been as specified, so Rin had no excuse to doubt their informant, as sketchy as their data on him was. (Kisumi had been rather adamant to not share from whom or where he’d gotten the information from). His only choice was to check for any piece of jade he could lay his eyes on. He’d find that box.

There were bracelets, and stones, and other green jewels that tricked the sight in that dim light, but Rin eventually did spot what he was looking for, his eyes widening when he saw that small, fat, gaudily decorated chalice ( _golden_ , indeed, it was definitely a fake), from which a trail of jade beads hang off, in slight disarray. Rin rushed to it, double-checking his surroundings for any sort of trap, before picking up the necklace. Beneath it, just like their informant had said, was a tiny box, clasped closed, and carefully wrapped in string.

The map. _Jackpot._

Rin snatched the box with a grin, carefully storing it away in an equally small drawstring bag, which he hung around his neck. His locket jingled again, and Rin grinned. With this, he could be made first mate—no, _captain_ . He could have his own ship and crew, and— _or._ Or maybe, _maybe_ , with something like this, he might just make it to the fabled Rock Kite, the legendary ship on which his father had sailed before he…

It was right as he was turning around to leave that Rin noticed an item placed far against a wall, unnoticed in the dark, obscured behind the heaps of gold and jewelry that littered the rest of the cavern floor. It didn’t call his attention by its beauty or shine, quite the contrary. It was just a large, wooden-framed glass case, filled to the brim with a dark, disgusting-looking substance. The mere sight of it made Rin want to throw up.

But it was also weird, for such an awful item to be placed so casually inside a treasure trove, and it made Rin curious. Curious enough to take a look—an obviously a foolish thing to do, but Rin decided to approach it anyway. There was something about it that unsettled him and drew him in, all at once.

And well, if things turned out badly, all Rin had to do was run and swim his way out. The map was already safe with him. There was more than enough life left in the torches. He still had some time to spare.

Slowly, Rin made his way towards the case, watching his step for traps. It would be too obvious of a setup, but pirates, no matter how simple minded, were not to be underestimated. Rin was already taking too big of a risk already; not even he was quite sure why.

(Rin had never been very good at keeping his curiosity at bay. Wasn’t seeing new sights why he’d become a pirate in the first place?

He owed it to himself to see it for himself.)

The wood that held the dirty, scratched-up, damaged glass panels together looked old, much older than the kind of loot that Bandou pirates usually went for. It certainly didn’t look like something that would have normally caught their eye. Rin swiped a thick layer of dust off it with his fingertip, and a few possibilities started lining up in his head. The case had likely been sitting there, untouched for years, since much earlier than when the cavern had been claimed by Bandou as a secret hideout a few months ago. Perhaps the newcomers had also perceived the ominous air surrounding it, and had refrained from opening it, or even moving it, afraid of what it might contain.

Rin almost did the same. But he was still compelled to take a look.

He had yet to figure out why anyone would keep a case filled with what he could now see that was just water, stagnated and sickeningly murky at this point, in such a secluded location. There had to be something special about it, and Rin couldn’t just leave without figuring out what it was.

The case was locked with an old lock, covered in dust and a slight layer of rust. Rin hurried to fetch a decently-sized rock to hammer it with, and then gave it a strong, clean strike that echoed in the room with a loud clang.

The water stirred with the hit, and Rin took a deep breath.

Nothing.

Relaxing his shoulders, Rin raised the rock a second time, hitting the lock again, and waited. A third strike, and Rin figured that it had probably been just the force of the hits that made the water move. Nothing was going to happen.

Rin hit the lock a fourth time, and before the fifth hit could connect, a loud slap hit the glass from the inside.

Rin froze in place.

From within the dirty water, a thin, bony hand was pressed against the glass.

Rin should’ve probably thought it twice, but he didn’t. There was something _alive_ in that case, and Rin was going to get it out.

As he kept trying to strike the lock open, Rin realized the damage on the glass was not on the outside. The thought made his stomach turn, feeding his anger and frustration, and allowing him to turn them into strength.

As soon as the lock fell to the ground with a loud thud, Rin quickly discarded the rock, and started pushing the heavy lid of the case open with all his might.

The stench that came out of it almost made Rin hurl his lunch right then and there.

But the hand emerged feebly, yet desperately, from the water, clinging to the edge of the case, and Rin didn’t think twice to push the lid off, and immediately sink his arms into the dirt to help whatever it was that was inside to get out.

Rin had to hold his breath and think of puppies, because the sensation of that water against his skin was absolutely disgusting; it felt dirty and sticky, most likely full of things that Rin didn’t even want to picture. He’d probably be disinfecting himself for an entire month, or two, after this.

But the body he was pulling up soon took the forefront of his mind. It was large, maybe the size of a grown human; definitely felt like a human, too, if only slightly lighter than expected and very, very skinny. Rin felt bones against his hands, flaky, rough skin—

A pair of arms had gripped Rin’s own, and a large fin splashed a large part of water out as the creature moved, before Rin could finish processing what it was that his fingers had just touched.

Scales.

It was with wide eyes and jaw hanging open that Rin pulled the upper half of the poor creature out of the case, the lower half still partly hidden, but still obviously visible when it moved, under the dirty, stagnated water.

A merman.

A thin, sickly, practically dead—no, barely _alive_ merman.

Rin quickly doubled his efforts, once again sinking an arm into the water to hoist the tail up, and finally pull the poor thing out into the fresh, salty air of the cavern. The merman tried, unbelievably, to fight Rin off, and Rin couldn’t blame him. It had probably been a pirate like him who’d locked him up in the first place, years ago—Rin just wished he wouldn’t stupidly waste his strength like that.

“Stop that,” Rin grumbled, annoyed, trying to straighten himself up to carry the merman with him. Starved as it was, it still wasn’t necessarily light as a feather. “I’m trying to help you.”

Rin couldn’t help stare, as he did his best to keep walking (while trying to avoid being scratched on the face), at the state the poor creature was in. Dirty, unkempt, brittle long hair; flaky, pale skin; chipped, broken nails; and opaque scales that fell off by the second. There was barely any color to his lips and cheeks, his entire face hollowed out by the lack of nutrition, and his eyes—

Those eyes.

Even in that pitiful state, even as milky-looking and unaccustomed to the light after years of captivity in the darkness as they were, the merman still stared at Rin with those mesmerizing eyes of his in a mix of fierceness, anger, and curiosity; the fight in him burning brighter than the torches on the walls.

Rin had no doubt that this merman had been a majestic creature. Someone this beautiful did not deserve to be caged up like that.

Rin wished there was some way to tell him that he was going to do everything he could to set him free.

It was difficult, though, between groans and hisses and weakly flailing tails and scratching hands, to convey that feeling. So Rin did the only thing he could think of. With a quick movement, he brought the merman closer and pressed his own forehead against his, his expression as firm as he could manage.

“Calm down,” he said, loud and slow. “Let me help you.” _Please_ , he thought to himself. _You’ll need as much energy as you can to get out of here._ An image of the underwater path he still had to swim through to get out of here flashed through Rin’s mind, and suddenly the merman felt much heavier than before. _We both will._

The merman stared back at him, motionless, and Rin wondered if that had done the trick

But the merman began sniffling instead, looking somewhat desperate, and suddenly turned his gaze to the small patch of ocean that led back to the outside world, his eyes widening, and his chest visibly heaving as he took in the scent of the salt water. Rin couldn’t hold back a grin.

“We’re almost there,” he said, walking a little faster. It was easier now, without someone trying to scratch his face off.

It wasn’t going to be _that_ easy, though, to get out of there.

Rin had obviously spent more energy than expected, opening that case and carrying the merman in his arms, and now faced a long stretch of carefully measured swimming strokes without pause, lest he wanted to drown in the middle of an underwater tunnel, with tired arms and legs. And the merman… Rin doubted he could even hold itself afloat on the water, as it was. He could survive longer than Rin could, and could probably afford to make a slower trip, but ran the risk of running straight into the pirates that would soon come to relight the torches in the cavern. In his current state, he’d most likely get recaptured, and sold off, at best. At worst… it was the case again, where it had obviously escaped from, for who knows how many more years to come.

Rin wanted to help him. He wanted to make sure he left the cavern safely. But there was no way he could carry the weight of two people across the tunnel without drowning in the process. There were only so many seconds he could spare between one air vent and the other. He couldn’t afford to slow his pace down, or he’d die.

Rin felt the merman’s fingers tighten around his shirt, his eyes almost shining, still fixed on the water in front of him, and Rin could feel his heart tightening in return.

He had to try.

“Okay,” Rin said, stopping at the edge of the ocean pool. He knelt carefully, trying to keep the merman steady in his arms, and stop it from hurling itself into the water. Rin was lucky the merman was in such a weakened state, or else he’d have lost the battle minutes ago. “Hang on to me.”

He didn’t take it personally when the merman ignored him, still trying to break free and jump into the ocean. Rin felt like he was wrestling with a cat—a huge, wet, underfed cat with trust issues, desperate to leap out towards freedom and food. So, he did his best to lower him into the small pool as gently as he could, the grime and rotten water that was still sticking to his skin and tail dissolving slowly in the fresh water. The merman succeeded in slipping free right at the last moment, leaving Rin with no choice but to jump in right after him to help. The reaction was immediate, and Rin’s heart felt a bit heavier just by watching. The merman could barely swim, his limbs stiff and weak from lack of use. His muscles couldn’t bear the effort, and yet the merman kept stubbornly trying to move, to swim away. Rin rushed towards him, lifting him back up to the surface and turning him to float on his back. Unbelievably, the merman didn’t reject this intervention, but the look of frustration and pain in its eyes hurt Rin deeply.

He couldn’t leave without him.

Yes, leaving _with_ him was pretty much impossible, but Rin would be damned if he wasn’t going to make it happen.

“Hey,” Rin said, keeping his hand on the merman’s back. He didn’t expect to not be ignored, this time, and ended up getting a little tongue-tied when the merman stared back at him, almost as if waiting for him to speak. “... I’m gonna get you out of here,” he promised, and there must have been something in his expression at that moment, because the merman straightened up again, with difficulty, but warily, and struggled to swim a bit closer towards him. “I’m gonna try,” Rin admitted quietly, smiling a little, and couldn’t help grinning back at the merman, who was still staring at him quizzically, eyes barely narrowed, as if trying to figure out the truthfulness (or the meaning, really) behind Rin’s words.

If only there was a way to make him _understand_.

With a smile, Rin took one of the merman’s hands in his and, hands linked, imitated the motion of a swimming stroke. That earned him a surprised look from his half-fish partner. “Swim with me?” He said, pointing first to the merman, and then to his own chest, and repeated the stroke.

In that instant, he saw the flame flickering back to life in the merman’s eyes.

Rin quickly undid the sash around his waist, wrapping it around the confused merman’s back, pulling it beneath his armpits.

“Hold on tight,” Rin said, leading the merman to hold onto his back, and tying the sash around his own chest. “And don’t struggle.” The merman didn’t emit a sound, and simply placed his hands tentatively on Rin’s shoulders, waiting. Rin could feel him trying to flick his tail every now and then, with poor results.

Rin held back to urge to say anything to him, supportive or otherwise. It must have been such a humiliating experience, to have no choice but to allow a pirate, of all things, to save him.

Rin waded water for a moment, testing out the arrangement. He’d never attempted anything like this before, and it was crazy not to practice for a while before setting out on the journey back, but unfortunately he didn’t have much time left. The merman was definitely a big extra weight, and it was hard to kick properly with him on his back. Suddenly Rin could vividly envision his limp, dead body hanging beneath the weakened creature, both floating aimlessly at the bottom of the ocean.

“Okay, okay, hold on,” he said, straightening up. The merman clutched onto his neck, and Rin had to hurry to lean forward a little, in order to avoid being choked. “Stop—hey! Listen!” He yelled, trying to loosen the merman’s hold on him, and that seemed to work. The merman relaxed again, hanging onto Rin’s shoulders lightly one more time. “Look, I need you to work with me here,” Rin sighed, trying to look over his shoulder. The merman did the same, and then turned to stare back at Rin with a slight frown. With another sigh, Rin did the breaststroke motion, and then tapped the merman’s tail with his hand. The merman’s eyes widened, startled, and tried to pull back—which pulled Rin along with him, making them both tumble backwards into the water.

Rin spent a good whole minute laughing and coughing salt water out at the same time.

“Alright,” he spoke up, after catching his breath and fixing both of their positions again. The merman was quiet behind him, his tail still flicking lightly every now and then. “Here we go,” Rin said, glancing over his shoulder and motioning with his arms again, to what the merman nodded with a stern expression. Rin grinned, turning back to the water, ready to dive under. He was going to have to go without his initial kick start… he took a deep breath. Exhaled. Took another deep breath, and exhaled again.

He could feel the bony fingers tightening around his shoulders again.

He was doing the right thing.

_Watch me, Dad._

Rin breathed in deep, and dived.

 

 

The merman felt infinitely lighter underwater. That, at least, was one worry off Rin’s back, almost literally. It was hard to move forward with such a large burden on his shoulders, but Rin could swear the water was working with him, the currents giving him an extra boost of speed right when he most needed it. He counted his strokes carefully, concentrated on adjusting his speed accordingly, so as not to overtake the first air vent ahead. It was a little awkward to swim with his shoulders being held onto like that, and the merman seemed to notice it soon enough, for he let go, and circled Rin’s stomach with his arms instead.

It was the weirdest thing to Rin, to feel the stream of bubbles coming out of the merman’s nose hitting the back of his neck.

Rin swam the first stretch steadily, resisting the urge to add a burst of speed when the first air vent came up ahead, before his eyes. He could still hold his breath for a while longer. He might need that leftover strength later. What was harder than expected, though, was to steady himself upright to go up for air; the merman seemed adamant on continuing onward, not entirely aware of Rin’s imminent need to breathe. It took Rin practically clinging to the small opening in the rock above their heads and pulling up to gasp for breath for him to stop moving, going still again almost immediately, restless, but waiting.

“I told you… to work with me,” Rin gasped between breaths, struggling to keep his head above the water, his arms already starting to take a toll on swimming with the weight of two people instead of one. He hadn’t expected the merman to put up such a fight, weak and frail as he was, but the water seemed to have rejuvenated him somehow—the freedom right in front of their eyes giving him strength. Rin hoped the merman didn’t end up burning up all that energy before they could get out. Rin himself was already tired, the next few stretches were only going to get more and more exhausting, and his arms were begging him for a rest. He’d need all the support he could get.

Right on cue, Rin felt the merman’s hold on him tighten, leaning both of their bodies backwards slightly. He was helping Rin hold himself up above the water. Rin snorted.

“That’s more like it.”

A few deep breaths later, Rin gave a small tap on the back of the merman’s hand as a signal, and soon enough they were once again underwater, swimming onwards along the tunnel, towards the far off exit.

The second stretch went without much trouble, and Rin found himself reaching the next air vent with a few strokes to spare. This time, the merman seemed to have understood the mechanics of their journey, and helped Rin stay up unprompted, as steadily as he could. Rin took only a moment to roll his shoulders and stretch his arms a bit before continuing; he was already starting to feel the physical exertion of pulling someone else along, and the merman was in no condition to hold his weight in return, either. The sooner they got out, the least chances there were for any of them to get hurt.

It was with that feeling of urgency that Rin swam a little harder, faster, wanting to hurry and make it to the next stop. The water carried them still, and Rin continued onward, the sash tying him to the merman tightening slightly around him when the creature seemed to drag behind. Rin wanted to get him out so badly, quickly. He could do it, he still had enough strength left for both of them.

But, for some reason, he just could not spot the air vent ahead. He must have miscounted in his hurry, forgotten to account for the increased speed and the favorable current in the distance he had covered, missed it when it popped up right above his head. It didn’t help that the tunnels had many indentations and fake exits everywhere around them, and Rin panicked, doubting for a moment on whether he’d actually passed it or whether he still had to keep going forward after all. He definitely didn’t have enough air to complete another full stretch, but he also didn’t know if he had enough to backtrack, either.

A small tug on the sash forced him to turn; Rin almost spit the breath he was holding when he was pulled to flop on his back, the merman’s tail kicking lightly between his legs.

With no other viable option and everything to lose, Rin chose to follow the merman’s lead and swim backwards, pulled lightly upwards, a bony arm wrapped around his chest. Rin strained his eyes to inspect the rock above their heads, desperate to spot the air vent where (hopefully) the merman was trying to drag him to. He felt like his head and his lungs were going to burst right when he saw it, putting a bit of power behind his kicks to reach it, and grabbed onto the rock to pull himself up immediately, breaking the surface with a huge gasp.

The merman emerged behind him, his arms still holding him up feebly, and Rin could feel a slightly labored breath on his shoulder.

“Thanks,” Rin gasped as soon as he could manage it, gripping the rock as tightly as he could, to avoid supporting the full weight of his body on him. The merman just tugged lightly on the sash again, then rested his chin on Rin’s shoulder, and it took Rin a moment to realize that he hadn’t been lagging behind, but had probably been trying to point him towards the fresh air instead. “Sorry,” he breathed out, and with both hands occupied, Rin chose to butt his head lightly with the merman’s as an added apology, earning himself a wide-eyed stare.

Unexpectedly, the merman hesitantly returned the gesture, making Rin’s chuckles die out instantly.

“Okay,” Rin breathed, steadying himself again, and shaking the look on the merman’s eyes out of his head, to focus on the counting and the swimming again. “We’re almost there. Let’s go.”

Rin could feel the merman’s stare on the back of his head for the entirety of the last two stretches.

He took care to count properly this time, adjusting his numbers every time the current shifted, or whenever he felt the merman give a couple of light flicks of his tail behind him. Rin barely rested during his last stop, focusing solely on regaining his breath and getting enough air to reach the exit. He was tired, definitely pushing it, but the merman was also not going to be able to help him anymore, barely able to keep himself from being a dead weight now. Rin wasn’t going to mess up again. They were almost there, and he knew that the merman could also sense it.

Rin felt a burst of pride when the tunnel they’d been swimming through for what seemed like ages finally opened up to a vast expanse of water on every side, the sunlight filtering through the waves, bright and dazzling. Behind him, the merman kicked hard, harder than Rin expected, and he felt a bit dizzy when they broke the surface, unaccustomed to such a breaching speed.

“I hope you didn’t pull something,” Rin gasped, feeling the sash pull on his chest as the merman tried to lie on his back to float.

Rin took a small moment to stare at the sky, a smile stretching across his lips.

It all began from here.

 

* * *

 

“Oi,” Rin scowled, staring at the mess of fish guts on the sand, “have some manners!” With a sigh, he took off his shoes, leaving them a good distance away from the water, and walked towards the shore, where his merman friend was busy devouring a small fish. Rin silently thanked that the poor thing had been fresh, but dead, before the merman had gotten his hands and vicious teeth on it.

Rin’s scolding had obviously been ignored. Multiple times already.

He couldn’t blame him, really. The merman had been too weak to swim off on its own when Rin had rescued it, so Rin had taken it up to himself to (try to) nurse him back to health as much as he could before setting him free for good. The merman had expressed only a slight reluctance to stay away from the ocean, and seemed content enough with the fish Rin sto— _borrowed_ from the market for him. Not entirely happy, though, as he never seemed to be satisfied with his portion.

“Aw, come on,” Rin said, taking a seat beside him, but still a safe distance away from any fish splatter. “You know I can’t fatten you up all in one go.” The merman paused his meal briefly to frown at Rin, opening his mouth to do that weird clicking sound thing that was probably supposed to mean something, possibly along the lines of _‘who cares, I’m hungry. Give me food,’_ or something like that. Leaning closer towards him, Rin whispered ominously, with a raised eyebrow, pointing to the splatter of fish guts on the sand. “Want a repeat of what happened the first time?”

The merman’s eyes widened, and he turned to the fish in his hands with disgust. Emptying his entire stomach from eating too much too fast was an experience that he most likely didn’t want to go through again, just as much as Rin didn’t want to have to witness it a second time.

“You’ll have to trust me on this one,” Rin said with a smile, and the merman frowned at him again, mostly out of frustration than anger, and went back to his meal, taking slower and more paused bites this time. Rin grinned, tasting victory, and he entertained himself watching the merman eat, his expression softening to a smile as affection swelled in his chest.

The merman looked much healthier already. His eyes shone a bit brighter, and his skin was beginning to take on a lovely, sun-kissed tone. He was still thin enough that his bones could be counted at first sight, and his scales were still falling off in handfuls, but there was much more energy in him, and he had regained a lot of muscle strength already. He’d be able to leave soon, and Rin could barely contain the excitement.

“You’ll be swimming out there in no time,” Rin grinned, and the merman lifted his eyes from his meal to stare at him, quickly shaking the bangs off his face in annoyance. “Oh, right!” Rin exclaimed, suddenly reminded of what he’d arranged to do. “Here,” he said, pulling a razor from his pocket. The merman instantly recoiled at the sight of it, watching it warily, and holding his half-eaten fish protectively at his side. Rin couldn’t help laughing at the reaction. “Relax,” he said, sitting closer, “I won’t touch your food, promise.”

The merman stared cautiously as Rin reached towards him to take those overgrown bangs between his fingers. He tried moving back when Rin pulled the razor closer, but just two quick swipes later, and a big tuft of hair fell to the sand, the merman staring at it in surprise. Rin chuckled to himself when the merman looked up again, going slightly cross-eyed in an attempt to check the results of what Rin had done.

“That was bothering you, wasn’t it?” Rin grinned, reaching for him a bit more slowly this time, and the merman watched him curiously as he kept chopping his hair off, cutting it to a more manageable length. After finishing up on the bangs, Rin narrowed his eyes, judging his results, not fully convinced. “Turn over,” he said, gesturing with his finger in quick circles, “I’ll do the back too.” The merman obliged, looking over his shoulder as he did. Rin straightened his head, making him look forward again, with a frown, whispering a short _‘don’t move’_ before setting to work.

He had to stop and make the merman face forward again quite a few times, chopping the hair slowly, careful to avoid any sudden movements or accidents. But the result was much better than expected, and even in that run down state, Rin could tell that it was already a vast improvement from before.

“Looking good!” He said, whistling lightly, and help up the blade of the razor. The merman leaned forward slightly to inspect his distorted reflection, squinting and turning his head to see better, and Rin had to struggle not to laugh. “I can’t believe this,” he muttered, and the merman looked at him, tilting his head in confusion. Rin just shook his head and smiled. “Nothing,” he laughed, bumping the merman’s forehead lightly with his own. “You surprise me, that’s all.”

It was strangely adorable, how much he seemed to understand and how fast he seemed to pick up on everything Rin did, but also how innocent and clueless he looked like about everything, at the same time. Even now, as he sat there, blinking at Rin, he didn’t look confused, but instead like there was so much going through his head that Rin couldn’t even begin to guess what he might be thinking about. Breathing softly, the merman suddenly mimicked him, a serious but cautious expression on his face as he pressed his forehead against Rin’s. A light chuckle escaped Rin’s lips, and he rubbed their foreheads together with a wide smile, making the merman shut his eyes for a brief second. The shorter hair really did suit him. He was definitely beautiful; Rin had no doubt that, once he’d fully recovered, he’d really be a sight to behold.

“Alright!” Rin smiled, pocketing his blade and standing back up, dusting the sand off his pants. “Finish that,” he said, pointing with his head to the half-eaten fish, “and we’ll go back to training.”

The merman frowned, and Rin frowned right back.

“Lazy-ass,” he sighed, and started unbuttoning his shirt. “Fine,” he began, faking a disinterested look, and threw a side glance to the merman, a hint of challenge in his eyes, “you’ll just have to give up on beating me...”

Rin intentionally trailed off, looking away towards the ocean, and casually motioned a slow, beautiful swimming stroke with his arm.

He didn’t even have to look—he could feel the merman staring intently at him.

“The map, I handed it over yesterday,” Rin said proudly, a big grin on his face. “We’re gonna set out soon—” He turned towards the merman, smiling, and then pointed first to his own chest, and then to the ocean. “I’m going,” he said, looking back out to the horizon, “I’m going on a real adventure! So, you know,” Rin paused, stretching his arms over his head a bit, and then turned back to point first at the merman, then back to the ocean, “I’d like to get you back out there before I go. Make sure you can hold your own, and all that.” The merman was silent, staring at Rin, then followed his outstretched arm towards the ocean, with a calm, but firm expression. “So? What do you say?” Rin asked, gesturing with his head towards the ocean, and the merman looked back at him, his expression unchanged. “Wanna race?”

The half-eaten fish landed on the sand with a thud, and the merman quickly dragged himself towards the water.

 

* * *

 

It was deathly quiet. The moon shone up high up on the night sky, and the stars looked beautiful, but far, too far out of reach.

The water was so, _so_ cold.

Everything seemed so distant now. The first time he’d been taught how to swim, the first time he’d set sail, the first time he’d completed a plunder on his own—the day he’d met his merman. It felt like forever since they’d parted, the afternoon right before the crew had set sail, chasing treasure and adventure… Rin wondered how life was treating him now, if he’d found his way back home, if he’d fully recovered. It would’ve been nice, Rin thought, to see him one more time. To get the chance to talk to him again, get to know more about him, to swim with him again. No holding back, just going all out. The two of them, and the ocean.

Right now, clinging to the thick steel bars that kept him imprisoned, all Rin could hope for was for the tide not to rise too much, just so he’d have the chance to see another day.

He’d spent all day going over how he’d been captured, thinking and overthinking about all the possible ways in which he could’ve avoided it, all the things that he could’ve done differently, how badly he’d messed up. He’d gone over countless ways in which he could try to make it up to his captain, maybe offer to step down from his position as first mate, to attone for his mistakes. Yes, he’d worked hard for it, but admittedly, none of that would matter when he was dead.

And yet.

Now, floating there, inside that small cell dug into the side of a cliff, and with the tide rising slowly but surely, the anger and frustration had left him. Now there was calm, a surreal clarity in all his thoughts. He thought of his father, of his mother, of his sister, of his friends, and all the people he’d met during his life. He recalled the merman, trapped in that glass case for years, waiting calmly for death, just like he was, and wondered how it had felt like to him when he’d been rescued after so long. Rin remembered his eyes, the look on his face when they’d bid each other farewell (or Rin had, really. The merman had not uttered a single word) and it all seemed so long ago. Rin remembered how he’d looked that day, and how he’d imagined he’d look the next time they met, because Rin was certain they would, because he’d promised to.

What Rin wouldn’t give to see him right now.

A wave crashed on the cliff, and Rin barely managed to hold his breath, coughing and spitting salt water out of his mouth.

With a sigh, Rin readjusted his position, hanging on the steel bars, trying to save his strength. He’d always been told his family was loved by the water— _too_ loved, sometimes, so much that they couldn’t get back to the surface again.

_Please_ , he thought, closing his eyes, the blue of the ocean and the merman’s eyes vivid behind his eyelids, _don’t take me yet. I need more time._

The sound of the waves was oddly calming, even when it was the very harbinger of his death.

_I have to see him again._

Rin laughed to himself, pressing his forehead to the steel bars. How strange it was, that this merman seemed to finds his way into his thoughts all the time, even at a time like this. They’d known each other briefly, at yet Rin had never stopped thinking about him. Maybe it was foolish; there was no guarantee that he might want to see Rin again, too. But Rin knew, somehow, he was sure of it, that right now, wherever he was, his merman was swimming to meet him again someday.

It was _definitely_ foolish, but Rin couldn’t shake the thought.

He was so far gone that he could almost picture it, right now, if he concentrated hard enough. He could see the merman swimming through the waves, towards him, holding his hand gently, touching his face with those long, beautiful, no longer starved-looking fingers of his…

Rin was stirred awake by a pinch on his cheek. He groaned, trying to slap it away.

His palm touched another hand on his face.

His eyes shot open, and Rin did a quick check. Cliff, prison, steel bars, ocean, a beautiful merman staring at him—

Rin cursed loudly, falling backwards, and slipping off the bars into the water.

He came back up spitting and coughing, and quickly swam back towards the merman.

“You!” He yelled, grasping the bars tight, jaw hanging open. “It… _is_ you,” he said, speechless, as he stared at the merman, wading water casually in front of him.

It couldn’t have possibly been the same one, but it was. Rin knew.

The merman nodded, and Rin had to reach out and touch his face, just to check.

He was there. He was real. They’d actually met again.

“How did you—why are you here—” Rin tried in vain to ask something concrete; there was so much he wanted to say and so much he needed to know. But the merman remained quiet, bringing a hand up to his lips, and bit through his own flesh.

Shocked into silence, Rin could only watch as the merman went underwater again, disappearing from view, and before Rin could even think to call for him, the steel bars in front of him shook. Once, twice, and Rin had barely any time to breathe in before they were yanked off cleanly, taking parts of the cliff wall, and Rin himself, with them.

He felt the merman’s hands grabbing him by the arm and pulling him upwards, towards the surface.

“Whoa,” was the only word that Rin could think of when he could finally breathe again, the strange but also familiar sensation of the merman holding him up above the surface assaulting him with memories again. He turned around quickly, holding the merman’s face in his hands, staring at him, wanting to take every single detail in.

“It’s you,” he said, again, breathing and grinning. “It really is you! You’re—” Rin could barely contain his happiness. It seemed impossible, but it was real. “You’re here. You’re _really_ here.”

The merman shook off Rin’s hold on his face, and tried to urge Rin to keep moving.

“Right, right,” Rin nodded, breaking away; he still had to get to a safe place, one that hopefully wasn’t right in the middle of the ocean. He started swimming away from the prison, but the merman stopped him on his tracks.

Before Rin could argue, the merman took both of Rin’s hands in his, and led Rin to hold onto his back.

Rin stared, dumbfounded for a moment, and then broke into a huge grin.

 

 

Dragging his feet, Rin contently walked out of the ocean, dropping on his back on the ground with a smile. The sand had never felt so wonderful. Beside him, the merman had pulled himself out of the water and onto the sand as well, and was now flicking his tail up and down, watching him. Rin remembered only one other time when he’d felt this tired and happy. He quickly sat up, staring back at the merman who kept watching him.

Rin had been wrong—no, not wrong. Just way below the mark.

Dark, smokey black hair, beautiful but defined features, an amazingly well-built physique, a healthy, just slightly tanned complexion, beautifully colored nails and scales of the brightest blue, small mouth, soft-looking lips, and his eyes—

Those _eyes_ . Rin had never seen something as hauntingly beautiful as those eyes. Bright, blue, deep as the ocean, eyes that gave away his outworldly nature but had also so much human-like emotion and _feeling_ behind them, eyes so hypnotic that Rin just couldn’t look away.

His merman was simply _stunning_.

“I can’t believe this,” Rin laughed, running a hand through his wet bangs, and pulling them away from his face, trying in vain to regain his composure a little. “You… you saved me,” he said, breathing out something that was halfway between a laugh and a sigh. “Thank you.”

The merman looked away, breaking eye contact, and Rin could’ve watched him do that little frown of his all night.

“We’re the same now.”

Rin blinked.

“Wha—eh??” He babbled, but the merman’s unexpectedly human voice broke through it.

“We are… the same,” he spoke slowly, eyebrows drawn slightly together, measuring each word.

Oh.

“Oh. Oh!” Rin sat up straight again, moving a little closer to him, amused and excited, like a child. “You mean ‘we’re even’? Is that what you mean—wait!” Rin almost jumped to his feet when the thought connected. “You can talk!?”

The merman, whose eyes had lit up upon Rin’s suggestion, nodded, and then nodded again.

“Yes. A…” he paused, thinking again, as if trying to find the right word. “...little.”

“A little!” Rin yelled, startling the merman with his sudden roaring laughter. He moved even closer, putting his hands on his shoulders. “You can talk! You mean you could talk all this time!?”

The merman shook his head, stealing curious glances at Rin, but also trying not to stare for too long, not to give anything away. “I learned,” he began, slowly. “I want… to talk.”

Rin waited, lips pressed into a smile, in silence, for that _‘with you’_ that seemed to be hanging in the air. But the merman didn’t seem to want to give it away that easily.

“Oh really,” Rin teased, trying not to grin too widely and give his intentions away. “Anyone in particular you wanted to talk to?” He asked, eyes half-lidded, and giving the merman a seemingly disinterested side glance.

The merman seemed to struggle for words for a moment, before he finally replied.

“... not really.”

Rin snorted, and bumped his forehead playfully against the merman’s with a smile. He’d been waiting so long to do that again.

“I’m Rin,” he said, smiling, and feeling strangely out of breath when the merman didn’t move away, their faces barely apart as he quietly mouthed Rin’s name.

“Haruka,” the merman said right afterwards, returning a little pressure against Rin’s forehead on his own accord. Now that he could actually get a proper answer, Rin was going to feel like an idiot whenever he mustered the courage to ask if that gesture meant anything at all.

“Haruka,” Rin echoed, a calm satisfaction washing over him. He was no longer just a merman, nor _the_ merman, nor just he or him. Haruka. That felt strangely right. “It feels weird to know your name after so long,” he chuckled, and yet Haruka didn’t move away.

“You didn’t ask,” he said matter-of-factly, pressing their foreheads a bit closer. Rin could see him staring, watching him, how those eyes of his were going over every inch and detail of his face, as if he were seeing him for the very first time. Perhaps, after having spent so much time trapped in the darkness, he hadn’t been able to get a proper look at Rin before.

Rin managed to give him a few moments of quiet peace, before he couldn’t hold it back anymore.

“Like what you see?” He finally blurted out, smirking. That made Haruka back away with a little frown. He was quiet for what seemed ages before he spoke again.

“...not really,” he mumbled, shocking the cockiness out of Rin’s face, and sending him into a bout of light chuckles.

“You _really_ need to learn more words.”

 

* * *

 

The tavern was bustling with sound. Pirate songs, loud laughter, calls for more rhum and more food. The rare, loud and cheerful day, the kind of day when a big crew was about to set sail on a long journey.

The entire place was lively with cheers and celebration.

“Captaaaaaain!!” A young pirate hurried all over the tavern, a big smile on his face, and bottle of rhum on each hand. “Captain Matsuokaaaaa!! Where are youuuu—”

“Momo-kun, shhh,” A shorter, panicked-looking pirate caught him by the collar, almost making him slip and fall on his butt. “The Captain isn’t here.”

“Huh!? Then where is h—mnnhhh!!” The nervous pirate hurried to put a hand over his mouth before he could finish talking, hushing him again.

“He needed some time alone! He’ll be back soon—”

“Ooh!” The younger pirate quickly broke free, his eyes sparkling with excitement. “You mean he’s gone to visit that mer—mnnhhh!!!”

“Shhh!” The poor pirate seemed to be on the edge of his nerves, getting more and more stressed every second. “Don’t say those things out loud—”

“What are you two doing,” a deep, stern voice came up from behind them, making both pirates jump, and sending the rhum flying across the room. The first mate eyed them both with a look of both suspicion and resignation.

“Yamazaki-senpai! We were just looking for the Capt—”

“Aaaaaaah hahaha!!” Again the pirate covered his fellow crew member’s mouth, laughing nervously. “Momo-kun and I were just looking for drinks! Drinks! Right, Momo-kun!?” He asked, still keeping his friend quiet, and manually moving his head up and down to make him nod, while the other kept trying to break free.

One look at the first mate was enough to know he had not been fooled. At all. Both pirates started fretting again instantly.

Arms crossed, the first mate let out a long sigh, putting a hand on the louder pirate’s head, holding him in place. The two pirates instantly quietened down.

“Quit playing and get to work,” he ordered, sounding like he was already regretting setting out on a journey with this crew. “The Captain will be here.”

Both pirates hurriedly straightened up, hollering an _‘aye aye sir!’_ before rushing out in opposite directions (then gathering back in place, and rushing out together as initially intended).

Sousuke shook his head, leaning his shoulder against the wall, and glancing slowly around the room. The entire crew was going overboard, but Rin preferred that way. _‘Give them something worth coming back for,’_ he’d told Sousuke once. Needless to say, Sousuke wasn’t entirely sold on that logic just yet, but he had to admit, he was starting to warm up to these guys.

Of course, with his entire crew partying until late hours and most likely crashing until late in the morning, Rin had also created the perfect excuse to disappear in the middle of the night and come back unnoticed.

Sousuke sighed again, muttering to himself.

“You should just drag him on board if that’s what you want to do…”

 

 

It was quiet at the pier. Most of the townspeople had retired to bed already, the majority of them wary of the pirates, and a few curious ones choosing to keep their eyes on the harbor instead, where the enormous and daunting Hammerhead, the ship Rin had received from the previous captain of the Samezuka pirates, was docked for the night. With so many provisions to stock and last-minute checks to carry out, it would be a long night for everyone. Rin was glad he had Sousuke to keep order, but he also inwardly hoped his first mate would stop to have a bit of fun back at the tavern, too. It would do him good to lighten up a bit, rely on his fellow crew members a little more. Rin smiled to himself. He had a good crew of good men. He was very lucky, and he knew he could trust them.

There were still certain things Rin prefered to keep to himself, however.

As he sat on the edge of the pier, legs hanging over the water, his captain hat placed behind him, Rin was happy to have this little moment of quiet. The lull of the ocean waves, the scent of the sea water, the cool night breeze, the moon shining high up in the night sky. Just him, and the ocean.

For now.

The water stirred, and Rin smirked, closing his eyes in silence.

Behind him, he heard a loud splash and a thud on the wood of the pier, and Rin soon felt a pair of strong, wet arms circling around his neck in an embrace.

“The winds are turning south,” was what that familiar voice spoke into his ear, droplets of water dripping all over Rin’s clothes. “You’ll go faster that way.”

“Oh? Since when are you interested in what route I’ll be taking?” Rin teased, opening his eyes and looking to the side to look at Haruka, who was staring at him as firmly as always, fresh out of the water, and wearing Rin’s hat. Rin laughed, turning to the side to grab him by the waist, and pull him up on his lap. “Or are you saying you want me back as fast as possible? Hmm?”

“You got lost last time.”

“Shut up!” Rin whined loudly; he didn’t need to be reminded of that fiasco. “Our navigator was inexperienced, but that was last time. He’ll do just fine!” He added, grinning again. “I have faith in him.”

Haruka’s expression remained mostly unchanged, but Rin’s trained eye noticed how his eyes narrowed just a little.

“I could—”

“Yeah, you could come along, and scare half of my crew out of their skin,” Rin laughed, taking his hat back from Haruka, and putting it on. “You don’t like humans, anyway—and you know how pirates feel about mermaids,” he added jokingly, trying to lighten up the mood.

“That hasn’t stopped you,” Haruka said out loud, wrapping his arms around Rin’s neck in the most evident _‘I don’t care’_ statement ever, and Rin pulled him closer with a sigh.

“It’s just a few months,” he said slowly, not giving in to Haruka’s frown. They’d been through this endless times, and Rin’s decision had been made. “I have to do this, on my own. I can’t rely on you to have my back forever.” When Haruka turned away from Rin, still frowning, Rin grabbed his chin, turning him back to face him. “Haru.”

Haruka said nothing for a moment, and then leaned against Rin’s chest, resting his head on his shoulder, holding him loosely, but close.

“If I keep swimming,” he started suddenly, grabbing Rin’s attention again, “I’ll see you again, won’t I?”

“Huh?” Rin snorted, messing up Haruka’s hair in the process. “Isn’t that obvious? What’s gotten into you?”

Haruka looked up at him from his spot on Rin’s shoulder, his eyes unnaturally brilliant in the dark.

Rin knew Haruka respected his decision, but it was probably difficult for him to part, and for such a long time, too, knowing he couldn’t follow behind. Haruka was used to escorting Rin and his ships during his journeys, staying at a safe distance, racing them, and at times even keeping Rin company on the long nights he had been stuck with cleaning duty on deck. But Rin was captain now, and he needed to prove himself—it wasn’t like he’d ever needed saving (alright,, alright, maybe just _once_ , but they were even), but he felt like he _needed_ to make this trip a success on his own, without the knowledge that Haruka would be near to help in case anything went wrong.

Nothing would go wrong. And Rin didn’t really need to have Haruka nearby to know that he’d be there for him, anyway.

“You’ll be alright,” Haruka said suddenly, nuzzling Rin’s neck, and held him a little tighter. He’d always been like a big, weirdly affectionate water cat, and Rin petted his hair, smiling. His words were everything Rin needed to hear. This was a good decision; he’d come back stronger, wiser, a full-fledged pirate captain, and with his head held up high. His father would be so proud. Rin took a deep breath, steadying himself and his resolve. Haruka straightened up as well, staring straight at Rin’s eyes as he spoke. “The water likes you.”

“Yeah,” Rin snorted, resting his hands on Haruka’s hips, “so I’ve heard.”

Slowly, Haruka leaned forward to press his forehead against Rin’s, eyes closed, rubbing it gently. Rin returned the gesture with a laugh, nuzzling Haru’s nose in the same motion.

“You still haven’t told me what that means,” Rin chuckled, cupping Haruka’s face with his hands, as Haruka kept bumping his head softly against Rin’s. Haruka didn’t reply; he simply leaned into Rin’s touch, keeping their foreheads pressed together as he looked into his eyes.

Slowly, he reached for Rin’s face as well, holding him gently as he spoke.

“... I think you already know.”

Rin was still smiling when Haruka’s lips touched his.

 

 

“Alright,” Rin said, a bit louder than usual, as he stood up at the edge of the pier. Down below, Haruka watched him from the water, his head half submerged, bubbling air on the surface. “I’m off!”

“Rin,” Haruka called out suddenly, stretching a hand towards him. Rin knelt down, startled, and reached out as well. Without a word, Haruka took Rin’s hand in his and placed something small on his open palm, immediately closing Rin’s fingers over it. “I’ll be waiting for you in the water,” he said, in that solemn but sweet way that Rin was so used to.

Rin snorted. “You’ll be the first thing on my mind whenever I have to swim,” he laughed, taking his hand back when Haruka finally released it. “You’re always the first thing on my mind, anyway,” he added with a smirk. Rolling his eyes, Haruka dived underwater, and splashed Rin lightly with his tail.

“Go,” he said, ignoring Rin’s complaints of _‘was that really necessary!?’_ , and swam away quickly. “And come back,” he muttered, so quietly that Rin barely heard it, before disappearing beneath the waves.

“Of course I’m coming back!” Rin yelled, loud enough so Haruka could not avoid hearing it.

There was no reply, and Haruka did not surface again.

Slowly, Rin looked down, stretching his fingers to reveal a single, bright blue scale, glittering on his palm under the moonlight. He held it up high, letting the light filter through it, and smiled.

“See ya, Haru,” he breathed out, eyes on the horizon, watching as the night fell into silence once more. In his hand, he held Haruka’s parting gift tightly. “I’ll miss you too.”

 

* * *

 

The journey had been long. There had been trials to overcome, and decisions to make, but also places to see and things to learn. Not a single day had been dull—Rin’s crew was both reliable when it mattered and prone to disaster when he least expected it, and as much as they had driven him crazy, Rin couldn’t say he hadn’t enjoyed every second of it. Of course, there was the actual plundering and treasure hunting, as well. The Hammerhead’s vaults were loaded with treasure, and Rin and Sousuke had worked tirelessly to make sure the shares would be properly distributed.

Rin had definitely gotten the adventure he’d bargained for.

It was good to be home.

Clutching his locket in his hand, Rin had taken the first chance he’d gotten to excuse himself, and rushed off in secret to that place he hadn’t seen in months; that little, secluded patch of beach that had become his hideout of sorts.

Carrying a little piece of him close to his heart all this time had been good comfort, but it could never compare to the real thing.

There, and true to his word, perched on the sand and gazing at the afternoon sun, he’d found Haruka, waiting for him.

They’d talked, about the faraway shores that Rin had visited and the oceans he’d sailed, and about the words Haruka had learned and the things he’d seen both below and above the surface. It was strange and somewhat refreshing for Rin to hear him talking like that. Haruka had never shown any interest in anyone aside from Rin, but there he was, talking about people he’d watched, and met, and even saved once or twice.

“I thought you hated humans,” Rin laughed, turning on his side to look at Haruka, who was laying on the sand beside him. Haruka just kept staring at the sky, his chest moving slowly as he breathed.

“I changed my mind,” he said at last, turning to look at Rin. Rin waited forever for the _‘you changed my mind’_ that Haruka seemed to have purposefully left hanging in the air, but, as usual, it wasn’t going to be that easy to get it cleanly from him.

“Is that so?” Rin teased, moving closer. “In that case, I suppose I could try putting in a good word with my men for you…” He hurried to continue talking, as soon as he noticed Haruka’s eyes lighting up, “but you’ll have to do your part, too.” Rin sat up a little higher, all too aware of Haruka watching his every move. “No fish guts on deck.”

Haruka deflated instantly.

“And no stealing my hat.”

Haruka outright pouted, flicking his tail in disapproval.

“But…” Rin’s spoke slowly, crawling closer to Haruka with each word. “I guess staying in the Captain’s quarters would be allowed.”

Haruka’s eyes widened again, and he leaned closer as well. However, right as Rin’s forehead touched his, just before their lips could meet, he suddenly spoke.

“I’ll need a pool.”

That sent Rin into a laughing fit.

He took Haruka’s face in his hands, squishing his cheeks with a smile. “Don’t get cocky,” he said, ignoring Haruka’s attempts to get out of his grip. “You’ll have to work your way up, just like the rest.”

“Is that a challenge?” Haruka asked as soon as Rin released him, grabbing him by the wrist just so he wouldn’t try it again. Rin simply grinned, staring into Haruka’s eyes.

“It is if you’re willing to take it.”

Haruka closed the distance between them, his lips brushing Rin’s when he spoke.

The waves were quiet, the breeze blew softly, the setting sun painted the world around them in reds and yellows. They were sitting on the sand, but Rin could still feel the gentle caress of the waves in Haruka’s fingertips, the touch of the sea water on his skin, the pull of the currents in his embrace.

“I’ll take it if you’ll take me with you.”

Haruka’s kiss tasted like the ocean, and Rin knew, now more than ever, that he wanted to set sail forever, and never touch land again.

 


End file.
